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31 January 2012

When I first decided to create this blog, I was debating between two names: "French Fries and Thunder Thighs" or "Cupcakes and Muffin Tops". Ultimately, I decided not to go with the latter because I don't actually have a muffin top. I do have a love for cupcakes though and they come in at a close second to the french fry.

Yesterday, I said I was going to do 2 things: (a) workout early and (b) not flip out over a half pound or so gain. A turned out to be much easier than B for me. This morning, I had gained another 0.4 lbs!! That is almost a whole pound in 2 days. I have to laugh at myself because it seems so small when I type it out, but I'm totally obsessed with the numbers on the scale. Now mind you, I realize that had I not dibbled and dabbled in unhealthy foods, I would not have seen a gain, but STILL!!!!!!!! *stomps foot*

I at least managed to get up early before work and get most of my MS done so that when I got home all I needed to finish was the rest of my arm and ab set and the DC. I even upped the reps to 40 today on the legs, 80 on the arms and abs and I managed to get in a full 60-minutes of cardio. I had an awesome workout today, so cheerio to that!

I guess we have to talk about cupcakes now, huh?

Well...

There's this place called "The Cup" that has delicious cupcakes. The feature for this month is The Graceland and it's banana cake with peanut butter buttercream icing. I have some good news though, I split the cupcake with a lady at work so I didn't eat the whole thing. Here's the bad news though, that was only after already having two cupcakes earlier that day by myself. BUT WAIT, I saved some more good news for you...I totally do not feel bad about my BIG, FAT CHEAT at all. Maybe I will when I see the scale in the morning, but not right now at this very instant.

Anywho, I feel I have had enough slip-ups for one Sequence so since this one is nearly up (Sequence 1 is Days 1 through 10), I will stick with the diet plan. *sad face*

On to the food...

Today's Menu:
Breakfast - Our Bloody Mary (Everyone has horror stories about this breakfast and no one I know has kept it down. It's basically a puree of red pepper, tomato, fresh cilantro, fresh horseradish,celery, cayenne and black pepper and an apple. So, I doctored this a little and added two apples instead of one and I pureed it with a splash of orange juice. It wasn't fantastic by any means, but it wasn't bad. I could totally tolerate it and it looked really pretty before I blended it all up which is always a plus.)
Lunch - Turkey Chicken Avocado Roll-Up (I ate as much as I could bare. Subbing in grilled chicken for the turkey did make it taste better though)
Snack - Fresh Melon Compote (I made this, but I skipped it and ate cupcakes and a half instead. I probably will not eat anymore honeydew as I'm allergic to it which was brought to my memory when my lips got swollen and my mouth started itching and burning when I ate it the other day. This is not why I skipped it though. I just really wanted the cupcakes.)
Dinner - Stovetop Braised Red Snapper and Roasted Asparagus (I couldn't find red snapper, so I bought ocean perch instead, but didn't make it because I wasn't hungry. I did eat the asparagus though. Yummy!)

Have you ever heard the joke about the salmon and the potato? It goes like this:

"Salmon makes it to the kitchen first, but disappoints the chef by her (this salmon is a girl) scaly appearance. In walks the potato with all of his puffed up fried bravado. The two of them (salmon and potato) go at it because they both want to please the chef and join her for dinner. Only one of them can win..."

So, have you heard that one before? Yeah, me neither. That's likely because I made it up, but let's just continue with the story, shall we? (Notice how it changed from a joke to a story. I couldn't think of a punchline...)

" Once upon a time in a not so distant land called Tamville lived a modest chef named Jae-cee. Chef Jae-cee and all the maidens of the land were under strict orders from the Queen to eat only what Her Highness had prescribed. Jae-cee followed all of the queen's orders. Well, nearly...

In anticipation for an upcoming meal, she went shopping at a local grocery in hopes of finding salmon. It was Jae-cee's lucky day. Salmon filets were on sale 10 for $10 in individually wrapped 4oz packages; a perfect portion size!

The Day of Salmon was nearly upon her, so she took one little 4oz packet from the freezer to thaw. After all, preparedness was key to Tamville survival. So, after a grueling workout on Salmon Day, Jae-cee happily went to prepare her portion of salmon for the evening as this particular meal is by far a favorite of hers. She opened the packet expecting to see 4oz of pink salmon flesh only to discover a SCALY grey and white animal that looked EXACTLY like A FISH!!

You should know that at "Chateau de Jae-cee", foods that LOOK like an actual animal are not allowed as they give the maiden an incurable disease called Heebie Jeebies. This includes but is not limited to scales, feathers, fur, claws, eyes, frog legs, etc. So, of course Jae-cee ran.

After nearly twisting her ankle to get away from the THING in the sink, the determined chef maiden decided to not let the scales set her back. With rubber gloves, she went to work to remove the skin from the animal so that the meat could be grilled. FAIL. At the end of what was a disastrous attempt to skin a fish, there was less than 2oz of shredded salmon left to grill. What was Jae-cee to do? Where was she to go?

Exhausted from her workout and nearly starved after the great fish debacle, Jae-cee could only think of one thing to do and that was to call on her old, but trusty friend, Mr. Potato...

THE END "

Today was so very difficult for me to summon the will to workout. I have no idea why unless it's because I GAINED 0.2 lbs since yesterday (Yep, you read that right and I'm not happy about it!) or that I waited until the absolute last minute of the day to do my workout. I am not a morning person by far, but still, I struggle to get my TAM workouts in at night. So, I'm planning to do a couple of things: workout early morning before work and not stress over a half pound or so increase as its likely temporary (Fingers Crossed).

Lucky for me, my little sister (who is also doing TAM BC - she's on Day 15) provided me with a bit of motivation. She posted an awesome picture on the TAM FB page (I included it below) and as it turns out, that was what I needed to pump out my MS work and 40 minutes of DC. I couldn't manage a full 60 minutes of cardio last night though. Sue me.

I feel like I should give you a legend for all of the acronyms just in case you are unfamiliar with the lingo, so here ya go:

TAM - Tracy Anderson Method

BC - Bootcamp

DC - Dance Cardio

MS - Muscular Structure

TA - Tracy Anderson

FB - Facebook

As for the food...

Today's Menu:
Breakfast - Mushroom Omelet Roll-Up (Yum! It tasted fabulous even though it was more like scrambled egg whites with mushrooms and spinach than an omelet)
Lunch - Baked Chicken with Broccoli (Double Yum!!)
Snack - Cucumber Mint Relish (I had my juiced version again)
Dinner - Grilled Salmon with Endive and Roasted Triple Carrots (I made the carrots, had an episode with the salmon and ended up eating McDonald's instead.)

30 January 2012

When I first learned about Tracy Anderson's Method, I did all kinds of online research because I wanted to be sure that there were LOTS AND LOTS of people who had completed her program with success. What I found is that everyone who stuck with it for the duration, saw dramatic improvements to their health and body. Key words being: for the duration.

I decided when I began (the first time, not this time) that this will NOT be one of those blogs where the author is absolutely amped about the program and then suddenly they stop posting.

Forever.

I always assume one of two things has happened: (1) they have quit the program completely and can no longer "face" their readers or (2) have gone into the witness protection program and must remain anonymous. Who knows!?

I mention all of that to basically say....

I'M BACK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I really did not want to completely BORE you by re-discussing the days that I had already blogged about thus the reason for my absence. Sorry for the neglect, but I did have your attention span in mind. It won't happen again.

Let me tell you, I am not new to working out. I have done a plethora of activities: Yoga, Gym membership (Hi Gold's Gym - I miss you!), Insanity, P90X, The PussyCat Dolls Workout DVD, etc. I haven't stuck with any of them consistently for one excuse reason or another: I did not see results quick enough, I got bored, I messed up and had to restart and lost my momentum on the restart, I got bulky muscles underneath the stubborn fat that never left, etc., etc.

So, for my Round Two with TAM Bootcamp, I made a few changes to help me out:

Going forward if I happen to mess up, I will just continue with the program as designed instead of restarting from the beginning. I restarted P90X at least three or four times and never made it past Day 11 which made me feel like I wasn't progressing. I could never finish this THIRTY DAY bootcamp if I continued on with that bad habit.

As far as the food plan goes, there are a few things that I absolutely refuse to eat: lamb, soy products and that NASTY, AWFUL, HORRID cucumber mint relish (I have a picture of my modified and much better tasting cucumber mint relish below). So, I modified the plan a bit to exclude those things on my refusal list and I also set a goal for myself to stick with her diet 90 to 95% of the time. This way I will still feel like I have a bit of FREEDOM. The restrictiveness of the diet was really starting to make my claustrophobia flare up. Now, I can breathe easy because I am not holding myself to impossible (for me, at least) standards. I commend everyone that can follow every single rule to a T. You're a champ! Perhaps one day, I too will have that type of discipline...or maybe its dedication that I lack. I'm not sure...

Since this is my 2nd time beginning Sequence 1 (Days 1 through 10) of the Bootcamp, I decided to modify the workout a bit too. I stepped it up a notch by adding ankle weights for the leg exercises, increasing my ab and arm reps and also increasing my cardio to 60 minutes from 40. Whew, that's a 2-hour sweat storm each day.

I'm pretty sure AWESOMENESS awaits me at the end of Sequence 1.

I'll drink to that!! (Kale juice or water, of course!)

Here's a couple of pictures that you didn't get to see the first time I did Days 1 through 6:

Cucumber Mint "Relish" - I juiced the cucumber and added the mint and coconut water to that rather than eat the slimy, chunky mess from the way it was prepared before.

Shrimp Salad with Sugar Snap Peas - YUCK!!! Let me tell you, there was NO SUGAR left in those peas. I could only manage to eat one snap pea. What a waste of shrimp. They were like rubbery lemon pellets.

Kale Juice - I had this for breakfast on Day 6 along with a hard-boiled egg. I LOVE kale juice and drink it regularly anyway, so this was a treat.

Roasted Mushrooms and Wilted Spinach - Yum! I had this in place of the Steamed Veggie Plate for Lunch on Day 6. I see no point in wasting perfectly good leftovers. Not even for Tracy!

Seared Peppered Tuna with Arugula Greens - I should tell you I'm not a fan of fish and after eating this, I'm still not. >:-S Yuck face

Also, I completed Day 7 today, but I'll have to blog about it tomorrow. 8-)

17 January 2012

Well, actually I kind of jumped off of it, while it was still moving...

I mean, really! I didn't even make it a full week!

So sad.

I tried to repeat Day 6 at least 3 times and never quite got it right. So, I moved on to Day 7 and something about that day makes me really want a Large fry from McDonald's.

So rather than sabotage my progress any further, I have made the executive decision to START OVER!! I can do that, right?

There is some good news here (Yes, I found some!) and it's that I fully know what to expect this time around. There is no way that I can personally manage working out for 2 hours a day each night and still get a good night's rest without waking up late the next morning especially when I have to make four meals for the next day.

When I do something, I really like to make sure that I have done it correctly. I'm one of those people who beats herself up over making mistakes. Nooooo, I do NOT want a 3.987 GPA, I want a 4.333 GPA!!! I'm working on getting over that little issue... In the meantime though, I'll just start over.

So, this next go-round I will have to make a few changes that will allow me to easier manage this program:

Workout in the morning

Prepare food for the entire week in advance (except the juicing which should be done the day of)

Lucky for me I have plenty of leftovers that I froze from Week One and also plenty of produce left

Don't cheat AT ALL!!

Some folks may be able to cheat a little and then reel it back in, but not me. All it took was for me to cheat that one day and then I ended up slacking the rest of the time. I would eat the meals & then do half the workout or I would do all of the workout and only eat some of the meals.

EXCEPTIONS - I absolutely refuse to eat that cucumber mint relish again. I will juice a cucumber and toss some mint leaves and coconut water in it instead, but the relish...I JUST CAN'T!! Also, still no soy products or lamb.

Since this will be my second time around doing Sequence 1 (Days 1-10), and my body was starting to get used to the exercises, I am going to start on Day One with ankle weights and work up to 40 reps. I had gotten up to 60 leg and 80 ab reps without the weights. I wouldn't recommend this if you are just starting out and your Day One is really your first day ever into TAM.

I have really enjoyed the workouts with this program and I absolutely loved the results that I was beginning to see (on the scale and in the way my clothes fit), but I allowed those quick results to sabotage my commitment. I'll be mindful not to pat myself on the back too soon and to be more prepared each day so that I resist all temptations to cheat.

There are no more candy bars in my house this time! Now if only there was a Potato-Eaters Anonymous group I could be a part of that would ban me from all venues that sell fries. Not that I would join... :-)

Folks, just the name of this recipe had me absolutely dreading Day 5! As if an itty bitty orange could make a beet salad sound/taste any better. I mean, did you see the picture?? Did you actually SEE the finished product? It looks like a bloody beet-y mess!

I'm still working up to the excuse...

I still haven't gotten my energy back from yesterday. So, I woke up this morning extremely exhausted. I really did not FEEL like (this is me pouting) eating what someone else told me to eat and certainly not BEETS of all things.

Here it comes...

Beets smell like dirt. Not regular dirt either. The dirt that's at the bottom of all the dirt... THAT is what a beet smells like. Not to mention they have hairy rat tails at the ends of them. GROSS. I shudder at the thought...

Here it is! The EXCUSE

I should mention that I was putting today's food off (the beet, really) for so long that I did not even end up eating Breakfast until 3:00p. Big mistake!

Excuse for what, you ask? I'll tell you...

Soooo, when I finally did eat it wasn't the halved grapefruit drizzled with honey as the meal plan calls for. Nope! I went into the pantry and what did I find, but an unopened pack of Fun-Sized 100 Grand candy bars. Serving size is 2. So, how many did I eat? SIX!!!!!!!!!!! Ohh, the shame of it all! :-(

Of course I felt like crap afterwards for cheating. I've never been a cheater in anything, until the darn BEETS entered my life. (More excuses).

After my episode with the One Hundred Thousand Dollar Bars (that's what my mom calls them), I logged into Facebook and I had a message from a fellow TAMer, Marcia. She's done bootcamp before and she wanted to know how it was going and also wanted to give me a playlist to listen to during the workouts. Awesome, right? Then, I go onto the Metamorphosis community on Tracy Anderson's website and I have a message from Wendy, another TAMer. Wendy started the bootcamp around the same time as me and was also checking in with me and telling me how good it was I was sticking with the diet... Oops.

Why didn't I read those messages BEFORE I ate the candy bars! Darn it!!! The encouraging words from Marcia and Wendy really gave me what I needed and somehow I found the motivation to get up and get moving. I got right back on the TAM wagon after my temporary lapse and completed Day 5.

Today's Menu:
Breakfast - Halved Grapefruit
Lunch - Grilled Chicken with Broccoli and Endive (FABULOUS!)
Snack - Beet Salad with Oranges (After all of that torture I put myself through, I found out that I LIKE BEET and the combination with the oranges and basil was actually pleasant. I guess I really do like veggies.)
Dinner - Shrimp Salad with Sugar Snap Peas (I made this, but I did not eat it. I wasn't hungry. It must have been the candy.)

Remember that Cucumber Mint Relish from Day 2? Give me Beet Salad over that any day!

Grilled Chicken with Broccoli and Endive

As for the exercise, I increased my reps to 40 on legs. Abs and arms are the same.

Day 5 (a tough day) is now complete.

I have been thinking of powdered donuts and glazed Krispy Kremes lately... So, wish me luck tomorrow. I'm not sure why I am having such a craving for sugar. Shouldn't it be FRENCH FRIES!?

Sorry for the lateness of this post, but I did complete Day 4 as scheduled on Thursday and I didn't cheat at all. So, let me tell you all about it.

Yesterday I mentioned that with a larger space heater, I was able to work up a good sweat. I should also mention that Tracy Anderson calls sweat, fairy dust. I think the idea behind that term is that there are no quick fixes and no fairy god-mothers to wave a wand and get you back into shape. The only real fairy dust is sweat.

Today, even though I increased my reps yesterday, I was not nearly as sore as I have been! I definitely think the heaters are helping out with that. I increased my reps by 5 again and am up to 35 reps on legs, 60 abs and 40 arms. Go fairy dust!

By the way, at this morning's weigh-in (I told you I'm obsessed with my scale), I was down 4.4 lbs from Day One!!! Awesome! I feel like I've just been rewarded and need to give an acceptance speech...

"First, I would like to thank God. Without Him, none of this would be possible. It is because of Him, I am able to persevere through it all. (SEE I told you my prayer from Day 2 would work). I would also like to thank all of my family and friends who are supporting me on this journey and last, but certainly not least, I must thank the entire TAM (Tracy Anderson Method) community who have proven to be an excellent source of motivation. Everyone I've named has shown me that they want to see me succeed and it's a big, big help. Thank you for this -4.4 lb reward! Thank you!!"

12 January 2012

I have to retract something I said in yesterday's blog. Remember how I said, "So Sad" about the Smoked Turkey Breast with Wilted Kale and Raisins dinner? It was actually not that bad. The turkey by itself was nothing to cheer about and I already enjoy kale from juicing, but when you add the turkey and kale to the golden raisins and baby carrots (along with the truckload of cracked black pepper I used), magic happens! I'm not saying they are going to be serving this dish at the Four Season anytime soon, but I am saying that on Day 2 (for those of you who will give BC [Bootcamp] a try), dinner will likely be the only meal you find enjoyable. Don't say I didn't warn you.

In the book, Tracy Anderson's 30-Day Method, Tracy says that if you do everything she says you can expect to lose 3 to 5lbs per week the first 3 weeks and then 5 to 9lbs the last week when you do the cleanse. I do not believe everything I read, so I didn't really take this to heart. However, when I weighed myself this morning (after only 2 days, people!), I am down 2.2lbs!! So, I am right on target to meet that 3 to 5 pound a week goal. WOW! I guess I will do everything she says (except for the soy and the lamb...). It's amazing how subtracting 2.2 itty bitty pounds can make your day seem brighter. Oh, JOY!

Here's Today's Menu:
Breakfast - Veggie Omelet Roll-Up (If you can get past the appearance of this one, you'll be okay. It's pretty bland. It's basically quinoa and pureed zucchini, spinach, green onion and mushroom "inside" of an egg white patty. Just close your eyes as you eat.)
Lunch - Grilled Salmon Salad with Endive and Red Onion (Have mints or toothpaste on hand for after, but this salad was delicious!! Even the raspberry cucumber dijon dressing was excellent. Yum-tastic!)
Snack - Blueberry Applesauce (It tastes exactly how it sounds... I'm undecided on how I feel about it.)
Dinner - Orange Glazed Salmon and Roasted Mushrooms (O-M-Goodness!! This salmon was delicious. I love, Love, LOVED it. This little dish will be regularly rotated in my culinary life and thank goodness no one was around because I had to SMACK on this one. Mm mm mmm! Want the recipe now?)

Orange Glazed Salmon and Roasted Mushrooms - I figured you should have two photos of this dish!

I wonder though...since the food was so good today, does that mean tomorrow it will be bad?

The exercise was the usual (lengthy and tough), but I'm proud to say that I added on 5 additional reps (I'm up to 30) and I worked up a good sweat! Goodbye toxins!! I just needed a bigger space heater... :-)

10 January 2012

Remember how yesterday's food was pretty good? Well, that was yesterday. Today, everything was either one or all of these things: bland, disgusting, awful, disappointing, watery. I can't add salt to this crapola, but I certainly peppered the crap out of today's meals.

I think I figured out what Tracy was doing with this eating plan. She knew that if she started off Day One's meals with something completely awful, she would lose too many people. So, she tricks you and makes you think the meals are going to be bearable and maybe even enjoyable on the first day, but the plot thickens, people! Enter Day Two. This is the day of the reality check and boy oh boy did I get checked.

You know how as a kid if you were eating something gross, you would pinch your nose closed, so that you couldn't taste it? THAT DOES NOT WORK!!!! I tried it. I was desperate.

I think now is as good a time as any for prayer. Don't you?

Dear Lord - Thank you for the desire you have placed in my heart to want to have a healthier body. I am calling on you with a plea for the strength and discipline to finish this journey I have started. The road may not be easy (or short), but it is attainable and I ask that I remember that each time I come across a road block that makes me want to give up. As I eat these foods that are extremely unappealing to my taste buds, I ask that my body be nourished and my mind stay focused on the tasks ahead of me. Thank you for allowing me to come to you with any issue and for the supportive people that you have placed in my life. Amen!

Okay, I feel better now. Phew!

The good news is I was so focused on how nasty the food tastes, I nearly forgot about how bad my quads were/are burning from yesterday's workout. Almost...

Here's today's menu:
Breakfast - Turkey Avocado Roll-Up with Wilted Spinach (I forgot to make the wilted spinach. Sucks because it probably would have tasted better)
Lunch - Spinach Salad with Chestnuts (Who knew the texture of a chestnut could make or break a salad...)
Snack - Cucumber Mint Relish (PICTURED BELOW: I left out the edamame beans because I don't do soy, but really Tracy!? Relish for a snack? Who does that? Me, apparently.)
Dinner - Steamed Turkey Breast with Wilted Kale and Raisins (So sad)

I woke up this morning with fond memories of the loaded baked potato I ate last night for my "last meal" and I had the desire to quit before I started, but I didn't.

And so, it starts...

For those who like a good, succinct read, here's a quick summary of Day One: The food was surprisingly tasty and I had leftovers for next time the menu calls for that same item. The exercise was LONG (2hrs), but I enjoyed the dance cardio. What's not to like about looking at yourself dance in a mirror? Also, I'm proud to say I followed the plan today to a T. Also, I took my BEFORE pictures and measurements (No, I'm not going to share them! Yet.). 29 days to go. Woohoo!

If you want the nitty, gritty details, read on.

You know, I really commend those women who put up their before pictures and measurements before they have completed the program. I admire their courage and ability to throw caution to the wind and just "let it all hang out"... I'm not one of those women. I did take my "Before" pictures today (Thank God for the genius who created the self-timer. No one else needs to see that!). I weighed myself (as I do everyday anyway) and took all of my measurements. However, I just cannot post "Before" pictures until I have the "After" shots. Is that vain? If so, I accept that title and maintain my decision. :-) Thank you!

I absolutely cannot wait until Day 11 because I will measure myself again and see just how far I've come. I will share my measurement changes (how's that for optimism?) on this day with all of you! Wait. Is anyone even reading this? Anyone???

*crickets*

In the meantime, I have at least included a recent shot of myself. It displays my current form without having to reveal the horror show that was my "Before" bikini shots. <----- OVER THERE <----That will have to do for now.

I fully expect to have awesome results at the end of this program, but I don't imagine the cardio or muscular structure work will be easy and I certainly don't expect the food to taste good. With that mental preparation in mind, I made all of my meals (except dinner) last night, so that I would be prepared today. I talk ALL about today's meals down below.Today's Menu:

Breakfast - Strawberry Mint Salad: It was pretty good, but I wished I could have added a bit of powdered sugar. The mint was an interesting touch, but I'm not quite a fan.

Lunch - Tomato Minestrone Soup: This soup has lots of fresh ingredients that sound and also smell lovely, but the finished product is no pretty picture! I already knew that this awful vegetable mush would be disgusting. So, I braced myself during lunch and was prepared to drown my hunger pains in sugarless green tea (Grrr, no coffee for 30 days!!). However, there was no need. The soup is delicious!! I'm a fan and it's a winner! Yummm! It's surprisingly filling too as I didn't even finish my 8oz serving...at first. :-)

Snack - Choco Chestnut Pudding: I'm thinking to myself, "As long as it took me to find cooked & peeled chestnuts, this pudding had better be good" and it was!! Although, dare I say, it was a bit too sweet. I may use less chocolate chips next time. I'm not a chocolate lover, after all.

Dinner - Poached Cod and Roasted Asparagus: I don't care for fish and have never even tasted cod... At the risk of sounding like a broken record, this dish was pretty darn good too. The lemon really kicked the flavor up a notch.

Exercise: The exercise took me forever to complete (like 2 to 2.5 hours)! I am hoping this is only because it was my first day and I had to get used to the moves and keep pausing the DVD. I did muscular structure first and then ended with 40 minutes of cardio. The cardio was actually fun! I did freestyle a bit because I couldn't keep up with Tracy, but hey, I moved the entire time. I can't say that the muscular structure work was as exhilarating, but I found myself proud when I was able to complete all of the reps. I did 20 reps for legs, 40 for abs, 30 for arms. Tomorrow and each day after, I will up the legs by 5 reps until I get to 60.

You have no idea how many times I wanted to quit today, so....Go me!!

Disclaimer: I did say the food was good and I meant it, but consider your source (ME). I was reminded of an Eddie Murphy quote today that rings true, "When you're starving, every cracker tastes like Ritz!!" Ha!

I really did enjoy the food though. Promise! I even took pictures of the food for you but I'm too tired to upload them. I'll try to remember and update this post tomorrow and it is now down below. Check it out!

I'm off to sleep. Here's hoping I can finish earlier on Day Two...

Strawberry Mint Salad

Poached Cod & Roasted Asparagus (Although neither the cod or asparagus are in the pic. It was prettier without!)

08 January 2012

I guess since this is my first blog and my first ever post, I should introduce myself...

<Insert Writer's Block Here>

Or not. I think I would actually rather just jump right in. Soooo...

One thing about me if you couldn't tell is that I LOVE french fries!! I always have. Love, love, love them!! I was (yes, past tense) a vegetarian for 9 years and my diet mainly consisted of salads and...french fries. It's safe to say, I wasn't the healthiest vegetarian. My mom would always tell me, "You better quit eating all of those french fries before you turn into one!"

Of course, I ignored her. After all, I was going to defy aging and genetics and eat whatever I wanted and still have the same exact body type, RIGHT!? Ha!

NO!!!!!

She was right.

I totally turned into a french fry which in hindsight wasn't so bad because guess what comes after that folks....the WHOLE POTATO...and if you don't do anything to rid yourself of the potato booty then, guess what happens....MASHED potatoes!!! At least you were a solid potato before, but now your once toned and shapely form (I was a shapely potato, okay!!) is all mushy and to make matters worse, all of the french fries...are gone. :-(

Time to find a workout program that WORKS.

For the past several months, I have been STALKING the Tracy Anderson Method (TAM). I first heard about Tracy as being Gwyneth Paltrow's trainer which sorry to say didn't convince me to buy. Then, I looked up some of her workout routines on YouTube and they look fun, but hey, I can't dance. Then, once I saw the QVC infomercial for the Metamorphosis program, I took that as a sign for me to look more seriously into the program. So, I began browsing her website (TracyAndersonMethod.com) for information and trolling her Facebook fan page asking everyone there lots of questions and viewing all of the photos. I still wasn't completely convinced that this was the workout program for me though. After all, I've halfheartedly (It's okay for me to be honest, right?) tried lots of other programs and quick fixes and none of them exactly worked and certainly not long-term. Go figure!

To the naked and untrained eye, I am not a fatty pooh, but it really comes down to my health and how I feel about myself and I am not comfortable with this new unhealthy version of myself. Okay, so it's not that new. I've been this size for a couple of years (okay, three or four), but STILL!!! To make a long story short, I am tired of not being able to fit into my own clothes and I just want to be healthy and to feel good. Is that too much to ask!? Besides, once my health is in order, I can worry about other pressing matters like world peace and charity. First thing's first though, I have to take care of me.

It's great that celebrities have had success on these programs. Whoop-tee-doo!! I was especially excited to know that J.Lo and Tracee Ellis Ross are TAM advocates (I'm not really interested in a Gwyneth Paltrow or Madonna body afterall. Sorry!), but that is NOT what sold me. It was after reading all of the success stories of real women of all ages and backgrounds, I decided to try the Tracy Anderson Method.

This blog will share with you my own personal journey and I am hoping that it will help hold me accountable to the program. I am also hoping that it will help someone else who is on the fence, like I was for so long, about giving TAM a try.

First, I am going to do "Tracy Anderson's 30-Day Method " book which is a 30-day bootcamp complete with cardio, muscular structure work AND a diet plan. Then, after I have successfully completed that, I will continue on to the Metamorphosis program. Note: I chose Glutecentric Metamorphosis, but there are 3 other body-types. You can learn more about those on Tracy's website which I linked earlier.